Backup QBs relish roles, await chance to shine

Ineffectiveness and an injury have plagued Matt Leinart, while it has been a pesky ankle for Byron Leftwich.

Paul A. Jannace

When the Arizona Cardinals drafted Matt Leinart in 2006, they hoped he would get them to the Super Bowl.

Well, they’re here, but Leinart had very little to do with that.

Ineffectiveness and an injury have plagued Leinart, while it has been a pesky ankle for Byron Leftwich.

“If I was the starter of this team, I wouldn’t be any happier than I am right now,” said Leftwich, who reaches his first Super Bowl as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup for Pittsburgh. “What people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be the main guy to enjoy this and to really appreciate being in the Super Bowl.”

Nonetheless, neither career has gone as anticipated, especially Leinart’s.

The Arizona backup to veteran Kurt Warner has plenty of money -- he signed a six-year $51 million contract after leaving USC following his junior year -- a Heisman Trophy, national championship, then he started 12 games as a rookie in 2006.

Things went sour in 2007, when Leinart threw for only 647 yards and a pair of touchdowns in five games before breaking his collarbone. He also threw four interceptions that season and appeared in only four games this season, completing 15 of 29 passes.

Now with Warner leading the Cardinals to the franchise’s first Super Bowl, Leinart might have to wait a little longer.

“Young quarterbacks, including myself, you just have to keep pushing forward and know that the good times and everything are going to pay off if you keep working hard,” Leinart said.

Still, Leftwich and Leinart could find themselves right in the fire Sunday night on the biggest stage should an injury to Warner or Roethlisberger occur.

“It is no different than what it was for the rest of the games, but you do understand that it’s the Super Bowl, and I think that helps you prepare a little more,” Leftwich said. “I will be ready if my number is called.”

Leftwich appeared in 40 games in his first three NFL seasons since being drafted out of Marshall by Jacksonville in 2003, but multiple ankle injuries helped him lose his job to David Garrard twice and has played in only 14 games the past three years with the Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and now Pittsburgh.

“I think it would have been tough if I had gone all 16 games without having the chance to play, but I played in four or five games and some of them were important football games that we had to win,” Leftwich said. “To have that experience, that kept me on my toes.”

While Leftwich’s ankle has hurt his NFL career, it was a broken shin that helped make him famous in college.

During his final year at Marshall, Leftwich got hurt against Akron, but returned to the game and led a comeback victory while being carried down the field by teammates between plays.

Leftwich hoped he could land a starting job in the preseason, but once Charlie Batch was lost for the season with an injury, the job as Roethlisberger’s backup opened up.

In four games of relief this season, Leftwich completed 21 of 36 passes for 303 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“It’s the Steelers, and it’s a joy to go to work every day,” said Leftwich. “People don’t realize what a joy it is to go into that facility every day. There is something about this organization and the way they run things that allows you to have fun, but your main goal is winning football games.”

Backup or starter, one of them will be a Super Bowl champion, and it does not sound like their role, or lack thereof, will ruin the euphoria.

“We are at the Super Bowl in my third year, which is pretty cool, and you never know what could happen,” Leinart said. “I could be playing on Sunday. Obviously, you hope nothing happens like that, but you never know.”

Paul Jannace is the sports editor of the Wellsville (N.Y.) Daily Reporter. He can be reached at pjscribe@aol.com or 585-593-5300.

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